History of John Smith Griffin
page 71

Berkeley  - 1946

I had prayed about this move and had weighed all of the pros and cons many times over and I still did not know what to do. I felt that Dorothy leaned to staying in Washington but she would not commit herself one way or the other. The Monday came and I could not make a decision. The day wore on until it was just a half-hour before quitting time and so I went up to Mr. Hunter's office. He was very cordial and talked about everything but what I had decided. Finally we got around to the purpose of my visit and after thinking the matter over I decided that I would tell him I would stay. I started to tell him and said "Mr. Hunter I have decided to --" when his Secretary opened the door and interrupted, saying that Mr. O'Donnell from New Your was in the waiting room and just wanted to say good by before he left. Mr. Hunter turned to me and said "you have lunch with me tomorrow and you can then tell me of your decision." I left without telling him what I had decided.

Dorothy picked me up at the office and knowing that I had to make a decision that day, asked me just as soon as I got into the car what I had decided. Told her that I had decided to stay in Washington. Immediately she broke out crying and sobbed all the way home. She said that we had been planning to go to California for so long and now to have it all canceled was more than she could stand. I did not tell her that Mr. Hunter did not know of my decision, but did tell her that if she felt so strongly that way, that I would tell him the very next day that I had changed my mind. She didn't think that this was the thing to do and so finally I told her what had happened and-that Mr. Hunter did not know of my decision. At least I had found out how she felt and that was very important in making my decision.

The next day I met Mr. Hunter for lunch and told him that I had definitely decided to go on to California. He was very disappointed, and almost abusive. He told me that Mr. Doyle, who's assistant I was to be, had given him notice that when school started that fall, he was resigning to become Dean of the Creighton Law School and that the position of associate solicitor in charge of litigation would be vacant. He inferred that the assistant if he had proved satisfactory would be in line for the job. He said that he hadn't told me this before as he did not want to unduly influence me. Having made my decision I decided to stay with it, and told him so.

LETTERS
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(L460620) Dorothy Griffin to John / Arlington, VA

I had completed my work on the St. Louis case .and was ready to leave. I made arrangements for Dorothy and the kids to go out on the train and I was going to drive the car and bring a few things that we had not shipped. I thought that the sooner I left, the better, in view of Mr. Hunter's attitude. So arrangements were made for Dorothy to leave at 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday evening and I was to follow in the car the next morning. The car, a 1940 pontiac, had been heating in driving it up to New Jersey, but not enough to give me any real concern. During the war, gas had been rationed and the car was used very little.

I had posted a sign on the bulletin board at church seeking riders to Salt Lake or Ogden to help pay the cost of my trip. The evening before I was to leave, a young girl called me wanting to go to Salt Lake. I asked her if she could drive and she said she could. She asked if I were going straight through to Salt Lake and I told her that I was. So the next morning, July 16, 1946 about 5:30, I picked her up and we were on our way.

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